Anthela asciscens (T.P. Lucas, 1891)
 (one synonym : Anthela tritonea Swinhoe, 1903)
ANTHELINAE,   ANTHELIDAE,   BOMBYCOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Anthela asciscens
(Photo: courtesy of Uwe Path, Alice springs, Northern Territory)

The Caterpillars of this species are large and densely covered in black hairs. The caterpillars typically feed on:

  • Brigalow ( Acacia harpophylla, MIMOSACEAE ).

    Pupation occurs in a stout oval cocoon covered in erect black hairs from the skin of the caterpillar.

    Anthela asciscens
    male
    (Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

    Each forewing of an adult moth of this species is grey with a number of parallel submarginal light and dark stripes, and a prominent white spot. The hindwings are each dark grey fading to pale yellow at the base. The moths have a wingspan up to 10 cms.

    Anthela asciscens
    female
    (Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

    The species occurs in

  • New Guinea,

    as well as in Australia in

  • Northern Territory,
  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales,
  • South Australia, and
  • Western Australia.

    Anthela asciscens
    showing underside
    (Photo: courtesy of Uwe Path, Alice springs, Northern Territory)

    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pls. 13.13, 28.3, p. 395.

    Thomas P. Lucas,
    On Queensland and other Australian Macro-Lepidoptera, with Localities and Descriptions of new Species,
    Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
    Series 2, Volume 6, Part 2 (1891), pp. 288-289.

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    (updated 25 April 2011, 2 July 2023)